Empowering Women and Girls to Reach Their Highest Potential: American Association of University Women
By Karen Rose
In 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, then a member of the Continental Congress, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we will be determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.” Much has changed since her astute prognostication 243 years ago, and women have since made significant, hard-fought progress both socially and politically. AAUW, the American Association of University Women, has worked tirelessly to institute these societal changes, and we’re fortunate two branches are on Hawai‘i Island.
AAUW first met in Boston in 1881 as a group of 17 female college students dedicated to promoting education and equity for all women and girls. At that time, there was a plethora of obstacles facing women who wished to obtain a college education or pursue work in a specialized field. This extraordinary group of college students believed that the more women were college-educated, the more society would benefit on all levels.
In 1951, AAUW began lobbying efforts to help establish the United States Department of Education. In 1958 the AAUW created the Educational Foundation to continue awarding fellowships to women from all walks of life. The organization is noted for granting financial support to many successful scientists, including Marie Curie.
In 1981, the AAUW established its Legal Advocacy Fund to promote equity by supplying financial and legal support to women in educational settings who have been harassed or discriminated against on the basis of sex. Currently, AAUW is one of the nation’s leading voices promoting equality and education for women, with a nationwide network of 170,000 members and supporters, 1,000 local branches, and 800 college and university partners.
The local branches of AAUW in Kona and Hilo continue the great work, as part of AAUW’s statewide organization which is made up of seven branches including three on O‘ahu, one on Kauai, and one on Maui. The Hilo branch of AAUW, with 105 members, was founded more than 65 years ago and has assisted women and girls in East Hawai‘i to achieve self-realization through education.
“In the Hilo branch, we emphasize developing a community of women who give back to the larger community,” said Annette Barr, president of AAUW’s Hilo branch. “We work closely with the University of Hawai‘i and with Hawai‘i Community College. Currently, we are working with a committee from the assistant chancellor’s office and the Title IX administrators to re-envision The Women’s Center. We are developing ways to make it stronger, and meet the needs of both the students and the staff. We recently worked with the center on an event for Equal Pay Day, as well as the mayor’s proclamation for the event.”
The Kona branch of AAUW was chartered in 1971 when it joined the Hilo branch to serve the women of Hawai‘i Island. The branch started small, with a group of about a dozen women. Today, the Kona branch has almost 80 members.
“The mission of the organization is to advance equity for women and girls through three things: advocacy, education, and research,” said Jamie Pardau, vice president of membership for the Kona Branch and former state president. “For Hawai‘i, most of the advocacy is done at the state level. There are women in Honolulu who are avidly interested in pursuing what’s going on legislatively for women in our state. We support them and have people locally who are on their committee. However, the women on O‘ahu do the heavy lifting, because they’re near the state capitol, so attending hearings is more convenient for them.”
Kona’s AAUW group focuses strongly on education, with three main objectives: awarding scholarships, Keiki Story Time at Kona Stories in Keauhou Shopping Center, and their GEMS (Girls Exploring Math and Science) event every fall for fifth grade girls. GEMS is a STEM event, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. They have held this event for more than 20 years, and it has grown significantly to the point that funding it is now one of the chapter’s biggest issues.
“We’ve have approximately 350 girls attend, and we’re now discussing putting limits on how many we can actually provide a quality experience for,” said Jamie. “We don’t want to have over 350 attendees, because even at that number, it is a costly event and we spend much of our time fundraising to make it successful.”
This annual event allows fifth grade girls to spend an entire day exploring exhibits and attending workshops. They are all led by women who have used math, science, technology, and engineering in their careers. Many of the women are now retired, while some are currently working in the field.
photo courtesy of AAUW Kona Branch
“We have a lot of participation from the observatories, and from people like those who work for the Division of Aquatic Resources, so the girls get a hands-on workshop showing them the fun and the excitement of science, math, and technology,” said Jamie. “We understand our schools are strapped for funds and can’t always provide hands-on experiences in the sciences.”
AAUW’s Kona branch focuses on fifth grade girls because research shows that as girls move into middle school, they tend to lose interest in science due to social pressures.
“Being popular and socially desirable tends to overshadow exploring scientific interests,” explained Jamie. “We feel that if they see successful, happy women who let their interests and passions be their guide, instead of what’s going to make them cool, it can help them see the excitement of what these sciences can bring into their lives.”
The branch also offers college scholarships to girls in West Hawai‘i who wish to continue their education after high school.
“We used to give one $1,000 scholarship, then it grew to two,” said Jamie. “For the last few years we’ve been giving three $2,000 scholarships to girls graduating from any high school in West Hawai‘i. This year we have two new scholarships that are specifically earmarked for girls or women who want to go to UHCCʻs Palamanui campus.”
AAUW is currently collaborating with UHCC Palamanui to identify women in the community who didn’t attend college immediately following high school, but who now wish to further their education.
“We also want to provide mentors for women returning to school,” Jamie explained. “For those who are returning to school and find it intimidating, we will match them up with a mentor who shares similar interests to give them the boost they might need. We want to provide the support they may not receive from their own family. We really feel strongly about national issues, but in terms of our own community, we want to have the best educational opportunities possible for the girls,” she continued. “We love that the County Council, Rotary, the Maunakea observatories, and other local businesses are supportive of our mission. We’re hoping we will be able to keep funding our projects. We want to continue this for the long term.”
AAUW’s Hilo branch also awards generous scholarships every year to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and has done so since 1954. This year, they will provide $8,000 in scholarships to students at Hawai‘i Community College, Hilo, as well as to UHH graduate and undergraduate students.
“We are working closely with the chancellor and the assistant chancellor at Hawai‘i Community College, to push for scholarships for women re-entering the educational field,” said Annette. “Some have families, others have survived domestic violence or had drug situations, but they’re all striving to return to school and better their situations, which is very exciting. We also offer mentoring where we connect a scholarship recipient with a female mentor who offers support and guidance.”
Both the Hilo and Kona branches of AAUW also offer interest groups like hiking and book clubs, to provide members an opportunity to network and develop friendships.
While AAUW has been an active force in advancing the rights of women in society, the leadership also recognizes there is plenty of work still to be done.
“One of the challenges facing women today is the systemic bias towards men in our society,” said Annette. “Many of us grew up with John Wayne and Rock Hudson, and books and movies that supported the narrative that men have the power and strength, and women submit or serve. Fortunately, times are changing and today we have members who work closely with the legislators on O‘ahu to ensure Hawai‘i has the strongest equal pay bill in the nation, as well as working toward other legislation to improve the lives of all women and girls. I think that’s pretty darn exciting.” ❖
For more information:
Hilo AAUW: hilo.hi.aauw.net or Facebook.com/AAUW-Hilo
Kona AAUW: kona.hi.aauw.net or Facebook.com/AAUW-Kona
Karen Rose
Karen Rose is a writer and journalist living on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Her writing focuses on food, wine, travel, culture, and arts and entertainment. She holds a graduate degree in cultural anthropology and is the executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii Island.
